Whale Watching in Cape Cod, MA 2025

Each spring, hundreds of whales arrive in the waters of Cape Cod to spend summer feasting on sand lance, also known as sand eel. This small fish, which is just 3-6 inches long, is the main food for giant sea mammals that need to eat 1.5 tons per day. Whales' primary feeding grounds are located in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, an 842-square-mile marine reserve located between Cape Cod and Cape Ann in Massachusetts Bay. The underwater plateau stretches 19-mi (31 km) long from north to south. The warm, shallow waters of Stellwagen Bank boast plenty of mackerel, herring, Atlantic cod, bass, blue-fin, yellow-fin tuna, and krill. The abundance of fish attracts large marine animals, which makes Stellwagen Bank one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in North America.

Whale-watching season

Whales start to appear in Cape Cod waters in mid-March and stay until November. However, whale-watching tours usually run from April through October. Some popular tours, such as whale-watching sunset cruises, are only available during the peak season from June to August. If you want to go whale watching outside the tourist season, you'll have to book a charter boat. The best chances to see whales are in the summer months, from June through August.

Whales

Humpback Whales

The main celebrities of Cape Cod are humpback whales. Thousands of tourists come every year to see them during their migration. The chance to meet humpback whales off the Cape Cod is over 90%. Being quite large in length (55 ft or 16 m), humpbacks are quite social and playful, leaping out of the water, splashing and flipping their tails. By the way, humpbacks have patterns on their flukes that are absolutely unique to each individual. Stellwagen Marine Sanctuary boasts 50 humpback. Most of them have names and have been observed and studied for years. Humpbacks usually spend winter close to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.

Fin Whales

Fin Whales are also quite common in New England waters but are harder to spot than humpbacks. They are quite shy and can move at a fast speed of about 30 mph. The right side of fin whale's face is white, and the left is gray, Being the second largest animal on earth, fin whales have a body length of 85 ft (25 m). In the winter, fin whales travel to the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Bahamas.

Minke Whales

Minke are also quite common off the coast of Cape Cod. 75% of the whale-watchers spot them. Minke are smaller whales, reaching 30 ft (9 m) in length. They are frequently spotted during rough sea and choppy waves weather. They can be identified by two white stripes on their pectoral fins, called “Minke mittens.”

Whale watching tours

Cape Cod Bay has two main harbors: Provincetown and Barnstable, both of which offer whale watching. Operators include Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises, Sea Salt Charters, Whale Watch Dolphin Fleet of Provincetown, and Captain John Whale Watching. Larger passenger boats usually have two sun decks, a snack bar, and an air-conditioned interior cabin.

Whale-watching tours last for 3-4 hours. Tickets cost $70-75 for adults and $50-55 for children. Passengers have to arrive one hour before the departure for boarding. The outdoor deck fills up pretty quickly, but if you don't get a spot on the deck, don't worry. Once the boat arrives at Stellwagen Bank and approaches whales, it stops moving, and passengers can walk around freely. There are plenty of spots for viewing with 650 feet of rail space. Licensed captains have lots of experience with whale-watching cruises and operate with regard to whales' safety, according to Northeast Regional Viewing Guidelines. The boats have "fish finders," which help to locate whales quickly. Professional naturalists identify individual whales and provide an educational narrative to complete the cruise.

Private charters cost $660 per boat or $175 per person if a boat is shared with other people. The average trip duration is 3 to 3,5 hours.

Whale watching from the shore

Provincetown is an old whaling destination and one of the few spots in New England where you can watch whales from the shore. The tip of Cape Cod, Long Point peninsula in Provincetown, is located just a few miles from Stellwagen Bank. However, a boat cruise offers a much better experience and closer proximity to sea creatures. Along with whales, it's possible to see dolphins, turtles, seals, and waterfowl birds. Overall, about 450 marine species live in Cape Cod Bay,